Self-aligning web reel

Abstract

A plurality of flangeless reel hubs store webs of a flexible material from a slitting operation. To quickly remove the filled reels from the individual clutch members, the inner driven diameter of the hub of the reel includes elongated diamond-shaped teeth. These teeth match with slots in the individual driving clutches. The teeth are centered and driven by the shaped slots which align and positively drive the reel. Relief cutouts are provided to accommodate the compression pressure against the hub by the many layers of web material wound under high tension onto the outer circumference of the reel hub. A single shaft with slots to match the teeth in the reel can be used to align the reels, and individual vacuum columns can accommodate the tension differences between the individual webs.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Self-aligning apparatus driven by a rotatable shaft for winding a web of material comprising in combination: spline means affixed to the rotatable shaft including at least one set of serrations spaced around the periphery of said spline means with a shaped cutout in at least one side of each of said serrations with each set spaced at the same axial distance along the shaft;   a reel including an outer circular hub for accommodating the web of material and an inner circular hub interconnected to said outer hub, said inner hub including elongated protrusions spaced around its inner diameter of a width to slide between two of the spaced serrations of said spline means, said protrusions shaped to seat into the associated shaped cutout of said serrations for aligning said reel with the shaft, the web of material and for rotatable driving said reel with said spline means and shaft; and   tension means for adjusting the tension of the web of material as the web is wound on said reel.   
     
     
       2. A self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for adjusting the tension of the web of material includes a hysteresis clutch fastened to said shaft and rotatable therewith to drive said spline means, said spline means affixed to the periphery of said clutch. 
     
     
       3. A self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 2 including a plurality of said clutches spaced along the length of the shaft; a plurality of said spline means, one adapted for each clutch, each of said spline means including one set of serrations spaced around its periphery; and   a plurality of said reels, one driven by each spline means for winding a plurality of webs of material.   
     
     
       4. A self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner diameter of said inner hub of said reel being of a size such that only the protrusions at and adjacent to the tangent position of the web of material relative to the outer hub seat into said shaped cutouts of said serrations. 
     
     
       5. A self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said protrusions on the inner hub of said reel are elongated diamond-shaped and said shaped cutouts of said serrations are trough-shaped to approximately the same length as said protrusions. 
     
     
       6. Self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 3 including a guide member fastened to a free end of the rotatable shaft, said guide member having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of said spline means without said serrations, said guide member having a tapered section along an edge at the free end of the shaft drive for assisting in the centering of said reels as said reels are placed onto said plurality of spline means for alignment with its associated spline means. 
     
     
       7. Self-aligning apparatus for winding a plurality of webs of material to a rotatable drive comprising in combination: a shaft rotated by the rotatable drive;   a plurality of cylindrical clutch members spaced along said shaft, each member having serrations spaced around the outer surface of its circumference, each of said serrations having spear points at each edge of the circumference width of the member and a shaped cutout in at least one side of each of said serrations; and   a plurality of reels each including an outer hub for accommodating one web of material and an inner hub interconnected to the outer hub, said inner hub having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of said member, said inner diameter including elongated protrusions spaced around the inner diameter of the inner hub of a width to slide between two of the spaced serrations of said member, said protrusions shaped to seat into said shaped cutouts of said serrations.   
     
     
       8. Self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said protrusions on said inner hub of said reel are elongated diamond-shaped and said shaped cutouts of said serrations are trough-shaped to accommodate said elongated diamond-shaped protrusions. 
     
     
       9. Self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said clutch member includes a hysteresis clutch attached to the rotatable shaft drive and an adaptor fastened to the outer circumference of said clutch, said adaptor having said serrations spaced around the outer surface of its circumference. 
     
     
       10. Self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 7 including a guide member fastened to a free end of said shaft, said guide member having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of said clutch member without said serrations, said guide member having a tapered section along an edge at the free end of the shaft drive for assisting in the centering of said reels as said reels are placed onto said clutch members for alignment with its associated clutch member. 
     
     
       11. Self-aligning apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said reels each include an interconnection between the inner hub and outer hub, said interconnection including relief offsets spaced apart with one end connected around the outer circumference of the inner hub and a second end connected to the inner circumference of the outer hub to accommodate the radial compression of the layers of the web material as the layers are reeled onto the outer hub. 
     
     
       12. A self-aligning apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said inner diameter of said inner hub of each of said reels being of a size such that only the protrusions at and adjacent to the tangent position of the web of material relative to the outer hub seat into said shaped cutouts of said serrations. 
     
     
       13. Self-aligning apparatus for connecting web-winding-reels to a rotatable drive comprising in combination: a plurality of cylindrical clutch members spaced along the rotatable drive, each member having serrations spaced around the outer surface of its circumference, each of said serrations having spear points at each edge of the circumference width of the member and a trough-shaped cutout in at least one side of each of said serrations; and   said reel including an outer hub for accommodating the web of material and an inner hub interconnected to the outer hub, said inner hub having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of said member, said inner diameter including elongated diamond-shaped protrusions spaced around the inner diameter of the inner hub of a width to slide between two of the spaced serrations of said member, said protrusions shaped to seat into said trough-shaped cutouts of said serrations.   
     
     
       14. Winding apparatus for reeling a plurality of webs of material after slitting from a wider web, said winding apparatus comprising: a rotatable drive shaft;   a plurality of clutch members mounted along the length of said shaft for rotation therewith, each of said clutch members having serrations spaced around the outer surface of its circumference, said serrations having spear points at each edge of the circumference width, and a cutout in at least one side of each of said serrations; and   a plurality of reels, one for each of said plurality of clutch members, each reel including an outer hub for accommodating one of the plurality of webs of materials from the slitter and an inner hub interconnected to the outer hub, said inner hub having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of said clutch member, said inner hub including protrusions spaced around its inner diameter and of a width to slide between two of the spaced serrations of said clutch member, said protrusions shaped to seat into said cutouts of said serrations.   
     
     
       15. Winding apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein each of said clutch members includes a hysteresis clutch connected to the shaft for rotation and an adaptor attached to the outer circumference of each clutch, with each adaptor having said serrations spaced around the outer surface of its circumference. 
     
     
       16. Winding apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said protrusions are elongated diamond-shaped and said cutouts of said serrations are shaped to conform to said protrusions. 
     
     
       17. Winding apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said reel includes an interconnection between the inner hub and outer hub, said interconnection including relief offsets spaced apart with one end connected around the outer circumference of the inner hub and a second end connected to the inner circumference of the outer hub to accommodate the radial compression of the layers of the web material as the layers are reeled out to the outer hub. 
     
     
       18. A winding apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said inner diameter of said inner hub of each of said reels being of a size such that only the protrusions at and adjacent to the tangent position of the web of material relative to the outer hub seat into said shaped cutouts of said serrations. 
     
     
       19. Winding apparatus for reeling a plurality of webs of material after slitting from a wider web, said winding apparatus comprising: a rotatable drive shaft;   a plurality of hysteresis clutches mounted along the length of said shaft for rotation therewith;   a plurality of cylindrical adaptors, one attached to the outer circumference of each of said clutches, each of said adaptors having serrations spaced around the outer surface of its circumference, said serrations having spear points at each edge of the circumference width, and a trough-shaped cutout centered in at least one side of each of said serrations; and   a plurality of reels, one for each of said plurality of adaptors, each reel including an outer hub for accommodating one of the plurality of webs of materials from the slitter and an inner hub interconnected to the outer hub, said inner hub having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of said adaptor, said inner hub including diamond-shaped protrusions spaced around its inner diameter of a width to slide between two of the spaced serrations of said adaptor, and a length approximately equal to the width of said inner hub said protrusions shaped to seat into said cutouts of said serrations.   
     
     
       20. Winding apparatus as defined in claim 19 including a guide member fastened to a free end of the rotatable drive shaft, said guide member having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of said adaptor without said serrations, said guide member having a tapered section along an edge at the free end of said shaft for assisting in the centering of said reels as said reels are placed onto said adaptors for alignment with its associated clutch and adaptor. 
     
     
       21. Winding apparatus according to claim 19 wherein each of said reels includes an interconnection between the inner hub and outer hub, said interconnection including relief offsets spaced apart with one end connected around the outer circumference of the inner hub and a second end connected to the inner circumference of the outer hub to accommodate the radial compression of the layers of the web material as the layers are reeled out to the outer hub. 
     
     
       22. A winding apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said inner diameter of said inner hub of said reel being of a size such that only the protrusions at and adjacent to the tangent position of the web of material relative to the outer hub seat into said shaped cutouts of said serrations.